With Me!
by Insert42Words
Summary: Walter asks Paige to Tahoe for the Jazz Festival and the two finally have an honest conversation. Then they go for ice cream, because Ralph. My first fanfic story. Enjoy.


"...With me!"

Paige looked up from the tickets, slightly shocked by Walter's invitation. When he began rambling and stuttering in his typical manner (which always worsened when he was nervous or dealing with unknown emotions), Paige assumed he meant the tickets to be for them, as shocking as that may be. If he were standing there suggesting she take a weekend away with Tim, she would certainly be mortified and crushed. Perhaps the call from Tim threw him off... She had sensed a certain amount of hesitation before the call and then, when her phone lit up with Tim's name, she was almost certain he would falter in his adorable attempt to ask her on this weekend getaway. But he surprised both of them by finally getting those two words out... and Paige was delighted.

She heard a (nearly silent) relieved sigh escape from Happy, whom Paige had forgotten was still in the lower level of the garage. Amused at the pair, Paige quickly put the pieces in place and made a mental note to find a way to thank the quiet mechanic for interfering. No doubt Walter would have never gotten to this point on his own (or even followed through with the decision to approach and continue with the plan after the untimely call from Tim) without his teammate/quasi sister pushing and prodding him.

Realizing that the silence had dragged on longer than Walter was comfortable with, Paige smiled and stood from her desk. Gently placing her hand on his arm, Paige led Walter to the stairs and up to the loft. They did not need an audience for this conversation. As thrilled as she was that Walter finally asked her to spend time with him away from work/the garage/Kovelsky's, she had some questions that needed answers before she gave him an enthusiastic YES (which she was dying to do).

Once upstairs in the living area, Paige dove right in. Settled on his couch, she took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and asked the question she had been aching to understand. "Why did you date Linda?"

Walter, who had experienced a moment of relief at finally having asked Paige out, was now reeling from other emotions- doubt because of her prolonged silence, confusion at being led upstairs, and most overwhelming was the excitement he experienced when she grabbed his arm. He had a moment of joy/absolute fear when he allowed his imagination to run wild in assuming that maybe Paige was leading him to the bedroom...

Her inquiry caught him off guard (because he was allowing his thoughts to stray to his bed) and he had to take a moment to replay the question in his head. Once he realized what she was asking, he felt his face flush. "Why did you date Tim?!" _There_ , he thought, _take that!_

But Paige wasn't deterred. She gave a soft laugh and smiled up at him sadly. Patting the couch so he would sit down, Paige waited for the genius to settle into his seat before answering. She was ready to be honest, hoping that it would encourage Walter to do the same. "Because you started dating other women and made it very clear that there was no "us" in your future. I was willing to wait for you to work through your insecurities and decide that you wanted to try something beyond friends/colleagues, but instead you chose to seek out other relationships. I saw that as you making the decision that there would never be an 'us'- that you were not interested. I had to come to terms with that and it was painful." Paige found that once she started talking she wanted to get all of this out. She wasn't going to stop until she said everything, no matter how uncomfortable Walter may look. He opened this door by inviting her to the festival and she had waited too long to say all of this. Now, there was no going back. Tonight would be the beginning or ending of something or nothing.

"It hurt more than I care to reveal. I always thought that your decision to not pursue a romantic relationship had more to do with your belief that love and romance were fake, but when you chose to start dating, I felt betrayed. I guess I always assumed that when you were ready to try a relationship, it would be with me." Taking a deep breath, Paige finished her long emotional spiel, "When Tim showed an interest, I was just happy that someone found me worthy of their time and attention. It's been a very long time since anyone wanted to spend time with me in that way, and it's nice to feel wanted and admired. Tim...he is not the guy I wanted to be with, but I was slowly accepting that you would never be ready for an 'us'. I had to move on and find a way to be happy with what I was given... And to quit longing for something that would never happen." Paige, who was a very emotional person, found this confession to be exhausting, but also felt like a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. Finally she had said all the pent up things that had been eating at her for weeks. A stress that she didn't even realize she was carrying was suddenly gone and she was able to take a deep breath. Now she sat in silence, giving Walter time to process the things she had revealed. Paige half expected him to run away, considering the amount of information and emotions she had just dumped on him.

It took Walter almost three minutes to process Paige's speech. Though not one to show emotions (other than anger, which he displayed quite well), Walter certainly _felt_ emotions (this took a long time for him to admit and even longer to understand what the emotions were). This was a surprising development after Megan's death and one he was still trying to understand. He, Walter O'Brien, was an emotional being; but damned if he knew how to express this adequately. In fact that was the entire problem right now. Months ago when they had that discussion in the weather balloon, Walter admitted then that he had feelings for Paige. But like the idiot he was, he found a way to shove those confusing feelings aside, certain they would fade with time. He never truly understood what those emotions were, but over time he realized their impact and was able to define those feelings. Walter O'Brien...was capable of love. And that scared him.

Paige had just been very honest with him, and he felt like he owed it to her to answer her question just as honestly. "I dated Linda because she expressed an interest in me. I was determined to find a way to be successful in a relationship. I've never been able to connect with my past girlfriends or even maintain a relationship beyond a few months. Recently, I have been able to admit to myself that I have very strong feelings for you and wondered if there would ever come a time when we could explore a different type of relationship than what we currently have. That thought scared me beyond belief because I was convinced that I would ultimately fail, disappoint you, and run you off. Regardless of the type of relationship, I just need you in my life. I was willing to settle for maintaining the status quo until I was certain that I would be able to successfully pursue a new type of relationship with you. I...and I'm not proud of this, but I was using Linda to test out different approaches to see what was needed for me to connect on a more personal level."

Walter paused, daring to glance at Paige. She was staring at him, an indiscernible look on her face. Taking a deep, steadying breath and running his fingers through his hair, Walter plunged back in, much like Paige, determined to get this all out. "When Tim came around and you expressed an interest, I redoubled my efforts with Linda. I see how that was misleading to you and I regret my actions. But when you began _dating_ Tim, I figured I was too late and thought that I may as well give Linda a fair shot, seeing if maybe I could develop a real relationship with Linda. Well, that failed miserably... Once again proving that I am a complete failure at relationships and do not deserve you..." Walter stuttered to a stop, unable to continue, not even sure what else to say. Emotions were so foreign to him and finding ways to express them adequately left him drained. He did, however, feel slightly relieved to have said all of this. Fly or burn, it was all out there... Well, all but three words that Walter was still unable to utter. He waited, head buried in his palms and slouched over, elbows resting on his knees. Whatever happened next would be the beginning or ending of something or nothing...

"Yes."

Walter's head snapped up, his eyes popping out of his head. Did he imagine that one syllable sound? Eyes falling on Paige, he was astounded to see she was smiling...at him. She was smiling at him. Could it really be that simple? All of this time, both of them dancing around so many unsaid things, could one short hour of honest communication bring about the results he so desperately wanted?

Still, just to be sure, "Yes, what?"

"Yes, I'd love to go with you to Lake Tahoe for the weekend."

Walter couldn't help it as grin slowly crept across his face. Paige was also smiling, obviously thrilled that the night had taken such a happy turn. Emboldened by his success, Walter slid down the couch to sit next to her, carefully placing his hand on hers, but found that once again his inability to articulate himself in emotional settings was hindering him in expressing his happiness and relief at her acceptance. Not knowing what else to say, but realizing that he needed to make some type of verbal acknowledgement, he murmured a quiet "thank you". That however, made him feel like an even bigger idiot and he felt his face flush once again.

"Dammit, I still don't know what to say or how to say it." He withdrew his hand and buried his face back in his palms, embarrassed by his lack of skill in this area.

Paige, used to the genius's lack of finesse, scooted closer and gently pulled his hands from his face. She touched his cheek and forced him to look up at her. "You're doing great Walter, and please believe me- I don't need you to be perfect or a wax poetic. Just be you. That's all I need and all I've ever wanted." She smiled at him and leaned in, placing a quiet kiss on his cheek before pulling away.

Walter gave a small, happy laugh. He was finally understanding that Paige never needed him to find a way to make something work perfectly- she was willing to take whatever they could forge and make it be their definition of perfect. Walter loved her even more, not sure how that was even possible. Maybe someday he could find a way to say those words to her.

"Now, about this weekend," Paige began, "I need some details. I'm assuming you've made reservations at a hotel...?" Paige waited for Walter to respond, hoping he would catch on to what she was asking, but this was Walter after all, and he simply nodded.

Sighing, but amused, Paige decided it would be best to have this discussion now as opposed to waiting when they walked into the hotel room. "How many beds are in the room, Walter?" Understanding flooded his face and his eyes widened. Walter had made the plans with Linda in mind, and he'd had no intention of engaging in any type of physical interactions. That had been the driving force in his decision to book a two room suite, allowing both of them privacy. Now he was glad to reveal this to Paige, hopefully making her understand that his failed relationship with Linda had not been physical. Also, he figured Paige would appreciate the accommodations, giving both of them time to adjust to the changes quickly happening with their own relationship.

"I booked a two room suite, with a pull out sofa in the living area and a king bed in the bedroom. We will have to share the bathroom, but we can both have separate sleeping areas and some privacy. Obviously, you can have the bedroom."

Paige grinned, thrilled that Walter hadn't intended this to be a romantic weekend with Linda. She would have felt ridiculous to find they were checking into a room with just a king sized bed, knowing he had expected to share the bed with another woman.

"That sounds good. And yes, I'm relieved to hear that you booked a room with separate sleeping arrangements for the two reasons that I'm sure your big brain has already worked out." Paige laughed lightly and gave Walter a small hug, which he immediately returned, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and gently placing a kiss on her forehead, much to the surprise of them both, which caused both of them to laugh more. It was a refreshing thing, having finally crossed this great divide they had been staring at for a year.

Both felt ridiculously happy, but there was something else Paige needed to say. She pulled away from Walter, creating space between the pair, before saying the last thing that needed to be addressed.  
"Months ago, you told me that Scorpion had to take precedent over any feelings you have. When we decided to remain just colleagues, I tried very hard to suppress any feelings and desires that kept surfacing. Honestly, I was never successful. There's been so much tension between us these last few months. You're actions, and sometimes words, would make me hopeful only to be disappointed yet again. If you're in, you have to be all in. I can't take the back and forth anymore. If you decide that this is a mistake, try to convince me that you don't feel anything after all, then I'm done."

"Paige, I-I"

"No, just let me finish this, please. I can't take the level of hurt that I would endure if you laugh this off again, and say it meant nothing. Just, please, don't do that to me. If things don't work, that's fine. I can deal with that. But if you run from me again…" Paige stopped, tears in her eyes at the mere thought of Walter backtracking once more.

"I know my words and actions have not been reassuring in the past. Paige… I promise you that I will screw up along the way, I can't help that. I think you know that, though. You understand me. Just know that from this moment on, I will do everything I can to show you in every way I can that this is what I want. I will regain your trust, no matter how long it takes."

With that, Walter leaned back in slowly, giving her time to pull away, and kissed her gently. Paige was yet again surprised by his actions. His level of comfort with physical contact was not lost on her, perhaps doing more to dislodge her lingering doubts than any words he had spoken. She knew then that it would be his actions, more than his words, that would bridge the gap and help heal the hurt that both of them had suffered in denying their emotions.

A small voice reached their ears, startling both of them as they separated, "MOM! Can we get food?" The new couple glanced at each other, laughing once more before standing and heading down the stairs to Ralph.

Just before they hit the stairs, Paige grabbed Walter's arm and pulled him back, yelling down to Ralph, "Yeah sweetie, just give us a minute and we'll head out." Then, stepping back inside his loft apartment, Paige said, "We should tell Ralph over dinner that you and I are taking this trip together and that this means we are going to be seeing each other outside of work. I don't think he will be upset, but I still want to make sure he understands what's going on and make sure he's ok with this."

Walter, lips narrowed, nodded his agreement. He was secretly worried what the young genius's response would be. As much as he valued his relationship with Ralph, he didn't know how he would respond if the boy was unhappy with this new development. Walter needed Ralph to be ok with the prospect of him dating Paige. If Ralph was upset, Walter knew that Paige would rethink things until Ralph came around to the idea.

Two hours later, Paige finally collapsed into bed, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened since the last time she lay here. While the significance of her visit to Chernobyl was not lost on her, she couldn't help but push that dangerous feat to the side, more focused on the very recent development in her personal life. (Sure, she was in the minority of people who had visited the nuclear site since the meltdown, but life with Scorpion was just like that- strange, weird, dangerous, and far-fetched. Just another day in her amazingly odd life with the team of geniuses.) A giggle escaped her lips, wondering what odds Toby would give her on Walter O'Brien finally asking her on a date and opening up about his feelings. It only took a tornado, a potential nuclear disaster (four, but who's counting), exploding buildings, fires, dictators, and... God she lost track of all the dangerous situations they had been in this year alone. Most normals, if faced with deadly encounters on a weekly basis, would have clung to the hope of love and life much sooner. But Walter... She laughed quietly again. He hadn't said he was in love, but she had a feeling. Regardless of the odds and the circumstances, Paige was content with where they were and where they were heading. The conversation in the diner tonight with Ralph, now that had been interesting. She got the feeling that Walter would gladly jump from another building before engaging in another conversation like the one they had just experienced.

* * *

 _Ralph wasn't wanting food, more like ice cream. The pizza he split with Toby and Cabe was sufficient, but he figured he could wrangle in a trip to Kovelsky's since his mom had returned from yet another terrifying excursion with the team. Paige was always willing to indulge Ralph after the close calls (and those were pretty common these days). He didn't mean to take advantage of it, but Ralph loved ice cream. If his mom wanted to spoil him after a harrowing trip, who was he to argue? It didn't hurt that most times Walter joined them in the ice cream outings, which delighted the young genius._

 _Sitting in their favorite booth, Ralph had just picked his spoon up to begin his calculated attack of the banana split (yes, there is a science to eating this delectable sundae) when Paige cleared her throat and shot a meaningful glance at Walter. Ralph, not an idiot nor a small child anymore (seriously, sometimes the team treated him like a delayed 5 year old instead of an 11 year old genius, but whatever) had overheard tidbits of the adult conversation between Paige and Walter. He knew what was coming and decided to have some fun at their expense._

 _"Sweetie, there's something Walter and I want to discuss with you. How would you feel about the two of us going away this weekend and you staying with Sly for a couple of nights?"_

 _Ralph kept working on the sundae, knowing full well that the delay in his response would cause Walter to sweat a bit. Although thrilled with the idea that Walter finally mucked up the courage to ask his mom out, Ralph couldn't help feeling a little resentment toward his mentor for the weeks of torment he caused Paige. No one but Ralph knew that Paige spent a lot of nights at home crying after she thought her son was fast asleep. It didn't take the young genius long to do the math and realize Paige was upset with Walter for his moronic attempts at dating. Ralph loved Walter, but his behavior as of late had royally pissed off the preteen._

 _After almost two full minutes of silence, Ralph looked up, cocked his heads to the side and gave the pair a curious look. "Where are you going? Is this for work?" Ralph purposely directed his inquiry toward Walter, implying that his mentor should answer._

 _"Um... Well, no. It's not for work. I asked your mother to accompany me to the Jazz Festival in Lake Tahoe. You o-okay with that, buddy?" Walter never dated as a teenager but he had the sudden impression that this must be what it felt like to be grilled by the father of a prospective girlfriend._

 _Ralph smirked inwardly and doubled down. (He recognized that he was perhaps being a bit of an ass, but for the past two years the team had underestimated him while he silently sat in the background, observing and learning. At this point, he could give Toby a run for his money in analyzing and predicting behavior.)_

 _"So is this like a date?" Ralph scrunched his nose up as if thinking about something unpleasant, "will you, like kiss my mom?!" The stunned look on Walter's face nearly had Ralph bursting with laughter- it took quite a bit of control to hold in the cackles. Paige, however, gave her son a fleeting look, narrowing her eyes and thinning her lips. The look went unnoticed by Walter (who was floundering for a response) but Ralph, more attuned to his mother's facial expressions and moods, quickly picked it up. He also didn't miss the eye roll and slight shoulder shrug. Ralph knew what that meant- she may not know exactly where he was taking this, but she was willing to indulge Ralph's questioning... for a bit._

 _"Uhhh...I'm not entirely sure what our weekend will entail. But it is a date, so...maybe?" Walter stuttered and stumbled through his response, wishing Paige would add some comments but no such luck._ _He didn't want to lie to Ralph, yet he also thought giving Ralph a rundown of all the activities that may or may not occur to be slightly inappropriate._

 _"Hmmm. Seems like a whole weekend is a long time for a date, considering you haven't taken Mom on any previous dates that I am aware of… and I would know."_

 _Paige, still suspicious of her son's motives in questioning the outing, decided to speak up to save Walter from the astute 11 year old. "Ralph, Walter bought tickets to a festival in Lake Tahoe. It's a long drive to Tahoe, so it's easier to stay overnight. We'll go up Friday afternoon, spend the day at the festival on Saturday, and then drive back Sunday morning."_

" _I'm quite capable of calculating your timeline, Mom. My statement wasn't regarding your itinerary, but rather his sudden desire to take you away for a weekend, which I'm sure will include adult activities, after spending weeks dating another woman. I'm curious, Walter, did you buy the tickets to take her, and decide at the last minute to settle for my mom when your previous relationship ended suddenly?" Ralph, originally planning just on making Walter uncomfortable before laughing it off and giving his blessing, suddenly realized that, yes, he was exceptionally angry and didn't want to back down just yet. He felt slightly ashamed at his emotional outburst and knew he had gone a step too far… but he was the one who had seen the hurt on his mom's face and listened to her crying late at night. As much as he admired his mentor, his mom was the one who had been there for him always. It just didn't sit well with him that Walter had been such an ass (even if he had been an unknowing ass due to his incredibly low EQ)._

 _Paige was shocked to hear her baby boy make such a grown up statement. Yes, he was light years ahead of her in the realm of intellectual knowledge, but this minor speech was dripping with EQ, something that was a struggle for Ralph. Part of her wanted to yell at the boy while the other part wanted to tell Walter the trip was off and take her son home and comfort him (since it was clear that he was upset about their news)._

 _Walter, on the other hand, was hit with a different realization and he looked at Ralph with fresh eyes. Turning his head slightly to Paige, he mumbled, "How about you give us a minute?"_

" _Uh… sure. I think I need to return a phone call anyway. I'll be in the car." Paige decided to give Walter a small span of time before going Mom on the kid. She really did believe that Ralph was struggling with some emotions that he didn't know how to handle. Not that Walter was a genius with feelings, but she was willing to let the pair work it out together before she interfered._

 _Walter watched as Paige exited the diner and made her way to the car. Once he was satisfied that Paige was safely in the vehicle, Walter turned his attention back to the young boy who he had come to think of as a son._

" _Recently, I told you that I was quite sure your IQ is higher than mine. I think I've spent the past two years underestimating you, Ralph. So, drop the innocent kid façade and let's talk, genius to genius."_

 _Ralph smirked. Finally, someone was going to take him serious. Finally he could have a conversation and not hold back, not be hindered by age appropriate expectations._

" _Wow," Walter commented as he saw the look that appeared on Ralph's face, "that's a first. I just saw a bit of Drew in you, buddy. So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how angry are you right now?"_

 _At the mention of his father, Ralph blanched. He had no intention of emulating that man. It made him rethink his approach and attitude. He shrank into his seat, all thoughts of revenge against Walter slowly dying. "A bit ago… 8. Walter… I'm sorry," the boy whispered._

 _Walter was shocked to see the sudden change in the young genius. As irate as Ralph had been moments before, and as much as his words had hurt Walter, Walter didn't intend to upset his friend._

" _Hey, buddy… I get it. Well, part of it anyway. When I was 11, that's when Cabe arrested me and hauled me off. I had a lot of anger back then. I know what it feels like to be pushed aside, underestimated, laughed at, thought of as a freak or weirdo. You know, one of the reasons I wanted your mom to join Scorpion was so that we could all give you a safe place to thrive. I thought we were doing that but… if you still have all of this anger, maybe we're not doing so great a job after all."_

" _I am angry about those things—the feeling of being overlooked when I know I can do much more to contribute. And those issues may have played a role in…, but that was more about something else…" Ralph spoke to the table, refusing to meet Walter's eyes, a tactic his mentor used often. "I'm angry with you because you hurt her. Because you did what Drew did—chose his career over her. You said you saw a glimpse of Drew in me just now? Well, I've had to watch for months as you constantly channel my father—showing her that she's not worth the risk. And I've had to listen to her cry at night, I've had to see the pain in her eyes. My EQ may not be great, but I understand hurt and loss and anger. I thought I understood love, because I saw the way you two looked at each other. The night after the bomb at the garage… I thought then that maybe you would both come to your senses, but… it was just more of the same avoidance and backtracking."_

 _Walter felt his stomach drop. Did Ralph really think that's what he had done? Was he really no better than that bastard Drew? He had more ground to make up than he ever realized. Determined to finally be the man Paige deserved and the father figure Ralph desperately needed, Walter made a split second decision and pulled his phone out of his pocket._

 _While quickly bringing up the website for the festival, Walter began speaking, "I can't change what I did, Ralph. The way I acted, the words I said or should have said and didn't. But I can and will fix this. Earlier tonight, I made your mom a promise and I'm making that same promise to you. From this moment on, I will do everything I can to show you in every way I can that this is what I want. I will regain your trust, no matter how long it takes." Walter repeated the words verbatim, easily remembering his promise because it was seared in his memory._

 _Excusing himself from the booth, he asked Ralph to wait while he went out to speak with Paige. Ralph watched through the window as the couple held a quick conversation. When his mother's confused look changed to a huge grin, Walter gave her a quick kiss and turned his attention back to his phone. Shortly after, the pair returned to the diner where Walter paid the bill and the "family" of three left for home._

* * *

Walter made the drive to Tahoe late Friday night. His mind was reeling with the events from the day, but both he and Paige decided to go ahead and keep their plans. Cabe promised to keep an eye on Toby. Paige planned on calling Happy tomorrow after the mechanic had some time to cool down. So, for now, they pointed the car north and began the drive to Tahoe, excited for a relaxing weekend away.

Paige grabbed Walter's hand and grinned excitedly at her genius, as they both listened to Ralph ramble on about the mathematical properties of jazz music from the backseat. No one was more excited than the preteen to finally be going on a family vacation with his two favorite people in the world. It was going to be a great weekend.

* * *

AN: Because I waited all summer for someone to write a story where Walter didn't say "With Tim". I have worked on this off and on for three months. I've never written fanfic before, and had no clue it existed before June, and never thought I'd submit a story. Oh, Scorpion, what have you done to me? I hope someone enjoys this .


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